Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Phlox diffusa

Spreading Phlox

At a Glance: Mat forming perennial with showy white to pink flowers.

Height: Up to 4 inches (10 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Leaves: Opposite, linear, entire, fused at base in pairs, green and hairless except for hairy lower edges, 5-20 mm long.
Flowers: Showy; 5 sepals fused into whitened, long-hairy tube with sharp lobes; petals fused into tube 9-17 mm long, spreading flat into 5-9 mm long lobes, solitary and stalkless at ends of stems and branches; primary color: pink to lavender or whitish; size: 1.3 cm across.
Flowering Period: May, June, July, August.
Fruits: Capsules, 3-chambered; seeds usually 1 per chamber, not mucilaginous when moistened.


Photo © 2003, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Insects: The nectar attracts a variety of insects.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Name Info: "Phlox" is Greek for flame, the name given to this group with its bright flowers. "Diffusa" means spreading, referring to the plants tendency to form low mats.

Suggested References

Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 850.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 376.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 271.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 236.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.